STATE STATUTES Current Through August 2017 WHAT’S INSIDE The Rights of Unmarried States’ definitions of Fathers “father” Paternity registries The parental rights of fathers have historically been tied to their being married to the baby’s Alternative means to establish paternity mother at the time of childbirth. However, as the percentage of births to unmarried mothers has Required information increased from 4 percent of total U.S. births in 1950 to more than 40 percent each year since 2008,1 Revocation of claim there has been a corresponding rise in the number of biological fathers who are not married to their Access to registry records children’s mothers. As society has become more accepting of nonmarital children, birth fathers have For more information sought to establish their rights to their children— including whether to parent their children, sustain a Summaries of state laws relationship with them, and exercise consent in the adoption process.2 To find statute 1 According to the National Vital Statistics Reports at the Centers on Disease Control and Prevention (see https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr66/nvsr66_01.pdf). information for a 2 Smith, S. L. (2007). Safeguarding the rights and well-being of birthparents in the adoption process. Retrieved from https://www.adoptioninstitute.org/wp-content/ particular state, uploads/2013/12/2006_11_Birthparent_Study_All.pdf. go to https://www.childwelfare. gov/topics/systemwide/ laws-policies/state/. Children’s Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS 800.394.3366 | Email: [email protected] | https://www.childwelfare.gov The Rights of Unmarried Fathers https://www.childwelfare.gov Over the past several decades, unmarried fathers have An “acknowledged father” is a man who has challenged the termination of their parental rights under established a father-child relationship by signing an the 14th Amendment in cases in which birth mothers acknowledgment of paternity. relinquished their children for adoption. In a series of An “adjudicated father” is a man who has been cases involving unmarried fathers, the U.S. Supreme adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction to be Court affirmed the constitutional protection of such the father of a child. a father’s parental rights when he has established a A “presumed father” is a man who is recognized as substantial relationship with his child. The court found the father of a child until that status is rebutted or that the existence of a biological link between a child confirmed in a judicial proceeding. and an unmarried father gives the father the opportunity to establish a substantial relationship, which it defined In approximately 27 states, the District of Columbia, as the father’s commitment to the responsibilities of American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands, a parenthood, as demonstrated by being involved or man may be presumed to be the father of a child in any of 3 attempting to be involved in the child’s upbringing. the following circumstances:4 For this publication, laws for making determinations of He and the child’s mother are or were married to each parentage were collected for all states, the District of other, and the child is born during the marriage or Columbia, and the U.S. territories, and an analysis of this within 300 days after the marriage ended. information informs the discussion that follows. Before the birth of the child, he and the child’s mother attempted to marry, and the marriage is or could be States’ Definitions of “Father” annulled, and the child is born during the marriage or within 300 days after the marriage is terminated. While there is no standard definition of “father” in He has acknowledged his paternity in writing. statutes across the states, there are a number of terms that describe the status of a parent-child relationship He is obligated to support the child, either by between a man and his child. The term “legal father” voluntary agreement or court order. generally refers to a man married to the mother at While the child is a minor, he has resided with the child the time of conception or birth of their child or whose and openly claimed the child as his biological child. paternity has been otherwise determined by a court of competent jurisdiction. When the parents of a child are not married to one another, states use an array of terms to describe the status of a man who may be the biological father. These terms include the following: A “putative father” is a man who is the alleged biological father of a child but whose paternity has not been legally established. An “alleged father” is a man who alleges himself to be, or is alleged to be, the genetic father or a possible genetic father of a child but whose paternity has not been determined. 4 The word “approximately” is used to stress the fact that states frequently amend their laws. This information is current through August 2017. Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, 3 Stanley v. Illinois, 405 U.S. 645 (1972); Quilloin v. Walcott, 434 U.S. 246 (1978); New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Caban v. Mohammed, 441 U.S. 380 (1979); Lehr v. Robertson, 463 U.S. 248 Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin use one or more of the (1983). elements listed to define a presumed father. This material may be freely reproduced and distributed. However, when doing so, please credit Child Welfare Information Gateway. This publication is available online at https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/laws-policies/statutes/putative/. 2 The Rights of Unmarried Fathers https://www.childwelfare.gov Paternity Registries of asserting his paternity.9 A man, the child, the child’s mother, or other interested persons also may petition Before a man can assert any rights with regard to the care the court to establish a man’s paternity. The court, after of a nonmarital child, he must first establish his paternity weighing all available evidence, will make a determination of the child. Many states have provisions for a father to of the child’s paternity. voluntarily acknowledge paternity or the possibility of paternity of a child born outside of marriage and record In 41 states, the District of Columbia, and the Virgin the fact in a putative father registry. Approximately 25 Islands, a court may order the alleged father, the child, 5 states have established registries for this purpose. In 22 the child’s mother, and any other man making a claim states, the District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands, of paternity to submit to blood and other genetic tests there are provisions for voluntary acknowledgment of as a means of determining the biological parentage paternity through forms that are filed with social services of a child. When the results of genetic tests reveal that departments, registrars of vital statistics, or other similar there is a high statistical probability that a man is the 6 entities. biological father of a child, the court will make a judgment of paternity.10 In 15 states, a man can be declared not to Acknowledgment of paternity or registration with a be a child’s father (or a prior judgment of paternity may putative father registry ensures certain rights for an be nullified) when genetic tests exclude the man as the unmarried father, such as the right to receive notice of child’s biological father.11 court proceedings regarding the child, petitions for adoption, and actions to terminate parental rights. In Required Information 11 states with putative father registries, filing with the registry is the primary means for establishing this right of States differ in the information they require for notice.7 An acknowledged father also may seek visitation registration or acknowledgment of paternity. The with the child and usually will be required to provide information that is needed to complete the registration financial support to the child. typically includes the following: The full name, Social Security number, date of birth, Alternative Means of Establishing and address of each parent Paternity The full name, date of birth, and residence of the child In 21 states, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands, A signed, witnessed statement by the birth mother a person may claim paternity to a child by filing an consenting to the acknowledgment of paternity acknowledgment or affidavit of paternity with a court.8 A signed, witnessed statement by the birth father In 26 states, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana acknowledging his paternity Islands, a man may consent to the placement of his name as father on a child’s certificate of birth as a means 9 Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, 5 Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wyoming. Washington. 6 Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, 10 Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Washington, and Wisconsin. North Carolina (when the child is age 3 or older), North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, 7 Alabama (for births occurring after January 1, 1997), Georgia, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.